In their shares this week CSA members will receive:

Arugula, broccoli, spinach, russet potatoes, red fingerling potatoes, parsley, rutabaga, tomatoes, yellow onion, red onion, garlic, fennel, delicata squash and sweet pepper.

A reminder that all members will receive shares this week and next week as we close out the season. 

One last hoorah

October is the last big month of the season at the farm. We have two regular season deliveries and one Fall Share to deliver before the CSA season is done. We have beds to prepare for the winter months. We have  90 pounds of garlic to prep, and then plant. We have a million things to get done before winter shuts us down for the season. 

Faced with this daunting list of tasks before us, we decided that the best way to make some progress was to do nothing.

We went camping instead. 

The weather actually looked bad, but it worked in our favor.  If the weather had been good, we would have felt guilty that we weren’t in the field working. For three days, the list was put aside and all “farm talk” was banned.  We brought our tent but opted for sleeping in the dry van instead.  It rained Saturday to Sunday.  We hiked in misty, cool weather on Sunday and we didn’t see the sun until a hike on our way home in Pattison State Park on Monday.

Now, we’re back at the farm, feeling tired and behind for this week’s delivery. But we also have no regrets. If you wait until you are all caught up with all that you have to do, you’ll never do anything. Go camping, instead.

Recipes

Parsley: Mark Bittman’s Chimichurri Sauce

We have been saving this recipe for a delivery when we had both garlic and parsley. Normally, this is a sauce used on grilled meats, but we have found it is a wonderful sauce to spoon on roasted or grilled vegetables. We make this sauce A LOT.  Make it in batches and freeze it!

Ingredients

2 cups chopped parsley

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 T fresh lemon juice

2 T minced garlic

2 tsp crushed red pepper, optional

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Grilled vegetables, optional

Instructions

In a bowl, or blender, mix the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and crushed red pepper; season with salt and pepper. Serve right away, passing the chimichurri sauce at the table.

Pasties

Recipe from The New York Times

Ingredients

1 double-crust pie dough, preferably made with shortening

1 ¼ pounds coarsely ground sirloin, flank or chuck steak (or you may chop into 1/4-inch dice)

2 russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 medium rutabaga, peeled and thinly sliced

 Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Divide pie dough into 6 portions. Press each into a flat disc. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Roll out each dough into a 9-inch circle and brush edges with water. Place about 1/6 of meat-vegetable mixture off-center on each circle, topping each with 1/6 of the butter. Fold the large side of the dough over the filling, then crimp the edges to seal. Place on the prepared pan and cut several slits in the tops.

Bake about 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake (20 to 30 minutes) until the tip is golden brown. Serve with ketchup.

Arugula: Salami and Pepper Pizzas with Arugula from Real Simple August 2012

I LOVE arugula on pizza!  

2 T olive oil

4 5-to-7 inch flat breads, naan bread, or pocket less pitas

½ cup marinara sauce

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 ounces sliced salami, cut into bit sized pieces (optional)

1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced 

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup arugula

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with the oil and place 2 flat breads on each.  Dividing evenly, top with the marinara sauce, mozzarella, optional salami, and bell pepper.  Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Bake the pizzas, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the cheese is melted and the flat breads are golden, 8 to 10 minutes.  Top with arugula.